Slayer's Fire
by BlackArch
Summary: Cool, I've finally gotten the next chapter up. Isn't that great? :-) Anyway, as per usual, read and review, because, well it helps me write more, and I really need all that I can get in that department. ;-) Well, again, R&R and of course, enjoy
1. Prologue

Title: Slayer's Fire  
  
Author: Chimerablue5  
  
Spoilers: Up through Helpless  
  
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.   
  
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?  
  
Author's Note: Hey, if you have questions, just e-mail me at ursua@aol.com  
  
'Why did everything have to fall apart now?' Buffy groaned again, as she rolled to her side. Ever since the fiasco with Post, and Angel's comeback was out of the bag, things had been going downhill from there. Especially with Giles. Everyone was pissed off at her to some degree. Except for maybe Oz...and Cordelia. 'I don't think she would care either way. Unless of course it involved her of course.' Willow was being her usual concerned self, and Xander...well he was just angry like usual when Angel was ever thrown into the mix. But Giles...since that time in the library, he'd been keeping himself distant from her. It was like he had withdrawn into himself. His normal, 'be careful' wasn't what it used to be. Instead of kind and caring, with the usual warmth that those two words were imbued with, they were a distant and a cold informality that were said, just because it was expected to.   
  
"Uggh..." Buffy growled lightly, as she punched her pillow lightly. Lightly that is, well, for a Slayer. The pillow exploded in a burst of white feathers. Buffy sat up, blowing a feather away, that persistently floated back down onto her head. She grabbed angrily at the feather, which seemed to be taunting her, as it floated away. That night, she seemed to be having too much energy, and waaaay too many thoughts. She had to burn off some of this energy. That's when times like these, it came in handy to be the   
  
Slayer.   
  
Buffy ducked as the vampire lunged at her from behind, trying to catch her by surprise while she was busy with his associate. Buffy just grinned, as the familiar rush of adrenaline pulsed through her, as she spun a round-house kick and sent the vampire flying. There was nothing like getting rid of the itchy excess energy like kicking vampire ass.   
  
Spinning around quickly, she caught the other vampire off guard as he was picking himself up. There was a flash of surprise on his face, before he suddenly exploded in a cloud of gray ash. Whirling around to face the other vampire, she found herself face to face with the other one she had kicked away.   
  
'Huh. I didn't think he was that fast.' Buffy thought idly, as she kneed the vampire, who doubled over at the unexpected attack with Slayer-powered force. He didn't even have time to look surprise as he also exploded into a puff of fine ash.   
  
"Well, I guess another night of holding back the 'forces of evil'." Buffy chuckled at the unexpected Giles-y quote that seemingly popped out of nowhere. She quickly sobered as she remembered the reason why she was out here.   
  
"Oh, wonderful. I've got too many thoughts again." Buffy complained, as she pouted into the night air. She smiled softly, as she remembered how she could convince Giles to do anything...well almost anything...with that pout. She still felt an excess of energy left over that was mixing with the adrenaline that was pumping slower in her system. 'Well, might as well dust a few more while I'm at it.' Buffy thought, as she walked through the cemetery, eager to find new prey to stalk, instead of doing an in-forced duty. All the while, a slight hum occurring deep in her, as she continued to stalk and hunt.   
  
Well, there's the next chapter. I know, it's somewhat vague, but I'm going to be focusing on the Watcher/Slayer relationship. In my POV, the two are very inter-connected, and should be shown as such. Well, that's just me, talking. Remember, read and review plz. :o) 


	2. Warring Emotions

Title: Slayer's Fire  
  
Author: Chimerablue5  
  
Spoilers: Up through Helpless, mentions of Revelations  
  
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.   
  
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?  
  
Author's Note: I know, it was really short. Sorry, sorry. I'll try to make this and future chapters longer. Thanks for the couple of reviews that I got for the 1st chapter. I was surprised that I didn't get any flames. I know not a lot of people think B/G and go 'great' but I appreciate the comments. Thanks for reviewing, Shelay Hill and editcat. Oh, and the section at Dwordslist really helped, thanks editcat! ^_^  
  
Chapter 2: Warring Emotions  
  
Buffy looked up into the bright, clear blue sky that seemed to be almost a constant companion here in Sunnydale. Sun, sun, and more sun. Normally, she loved it exactly like that. Though, lately, she'd been wondering how it would be with something a bit different. Finally Monday morning, Buffy reluctantly left the comfort of her bed to start another boring day after so little uninterrupted sleep. She expected her mood to brighten as she thought of seeing Angel again that night, but her mood only stayed the same depressing level. Buffy's face turned into a scowl, as she dragged herself up the front entrance stairs of Sunnydale High.   
  
As she walked and wound her way through the halls, she kept a steady pace to her destination. 'First thing in the morning, and the last thing before patrol. Just keep trying to arrive on time.' Buffy thought to herself, as she pushed open the swinging doors of the library. Walking in, she didn't see Giles in her present sight, but she had the distinct feeling that he was in here somewhere. Probably either in the stacks or his office.   
  
A second later, Giles stepped out of his office, looking up from the book in his hand to Buffy. Instead of a warm hello, that usually greeted her, she met a frozen look, as he walked past her to the wooden study table in the middle of the library as he set the book down.   
  
"Buffy. You're on time. How was patrol?" Giles greeted her nonchalantly, as he leaned against the table, while taking a sudden interest with the floor.   
  
The slightly hurt, and annoyed Slayer didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing that she couldn't see his eyes, but, at the moment, she didn't change it to otherwise.   
  
"Yea thought I'd be wacky Buffy and be on time." Buffy smiled weakly at her attempt at humor, which quickly faded away, as she saw that he didn't smile back. Not even one of those small smiles that showed up whenever he thought one of them were being childish.   
  
"Anyway, patrol was fine. Vampires, me, dust, the usual. That and a lot of energy. Not that I'm really complaining seeing as how I probably could've kept dusting them 'till the cows came home. But it's kind of hard to get some sleep with energy like that. Wouldn't that be considered complaining though? Eh, whatever." Buffy said, shrugging nonchalantly. The cold attitude of Giles didn't really faze her as much as it had in the beginning. She was beginning to expect it from him now actually, and she was fine with it. Inside she heard a tiny voice inside her, screaming that it wasn't right, and it should bother her. The voice was pushed aside, and 'normal Buffy' was back in place.  
  
Giles was listening to everything she said, as usual. Though he kept his face an emotionless mask that showed none of his usual concern towards his Slayer. The extra energy that she mentioned piqued his curiosity slightly. It could be something, or it could be something as trivial as added adrenaline. He would have to research it. He felt unease in telling her. Since that dreadful woman, Post, came in, it seemed as though his slowly rebuilding world, no matter how insane it was, crumbled into a million pieces. Aside from the fact that she had pretty good aim at bashing his brains in, she helped in leading them all into Angel's reintroduction, and Buffy's betrayal put on spotlight. The thought of Buffy protecting Angel made his heart clench, as he remembered all the things that Angelus had done to him in those hours that seemed to be like days. He could feel the hot knives that were laid on his chest after being heated in the fire. How he bit the inside of his lip to stop from screaming, and felt the hot gush of blood pour into his mouth. His mind lost in thoughts of the past, didn't notice Buffy had stopped talking.   
  
Buffy's gaze finally landed on Giles as she saw nothing else she could hang onto. That was when she noticed the stiffness of his back, and the way his right hand was clenched against his side, and his left was gripping the table so hard that his knuckles were white. Was he really so mad at her, that it was so hard to be in a 5 foot radius of her? This thought hurt and scared her the most.   
  
"I...I-I have to go. The bell-you know...loud ringing thing? Yea, that, it's gonna go off soon. S-so I'll just...I'll j-just go." Buffy stuttered, doing almost an exact imitation of Giles at his worse when he was in stutter mode. Only hers was filled with sadness than embarrassment. She spun on her heel, and practically ran from the library into the hallway.   
  
At Buffy's voice, Giles had been snapped back into reality, but found that Buffy was all ready running for the door as though the hell dog Cerberus were on her heels. He had caught about half of her stutter, and felt a pang of remorse as the hurt had weaved itself into her voice. He let out a heavy sigh, looking at the swinging door, the only evidence that Buffy had even been there. He turned back to the book that he had set on the table and went back into his office. So far, he had been able to keep the emotional façade in place when he was with Buffy. Today however was different for some reason, and he hadn't been able to keep a lid on his emotions as he normally could. As he closed the door of his office and began to read, he noticed that Buffy had lessened her visits of him and her less than exuberant greetings of him was showing him how much he had pushed her away. A part of him was asking whether that was a good or bad thing. He answered the voice yes.   
  
Setting he paused for a moment in his reading. Was it?  
  
********************************************  
  
Buffy's sadness and depression had been apparent in her first 2 classes. She paid even less attention as the teachers talked and called upon the other students that seemed so happy, or at least alive. In her fourth class, the one before lunch, she didn't know if she wanted this class to end, or go to hell, because of how boring it was. Her head was propped up on her right hand. The subject of the class was one that she did not want to get into right now. It was the comparison of other emotions and Buffy didn't really feel like doing any analyzing of her feelings. All she wanted to do was sulk for a bit, then go and eat.   
  
As she gazed out of the window, she was pulled out of her daydreaming by the teacher calling her name.  
  
"Miss Summers. Perhaps you would like to grace us with some of your input?" the teacher asked.   
  
Buffy looked at the teacher. She almost glared at him for interrupting a good brood, but just went along.  
  
"Sorry, what was the question again?" Buffy asked sheepishly, as she noticed she was the center of attention. She hated it really. She got enough from being the Slayer. She didn't need it because of her spacing out.  
  
"Well, my question was about our current comparison of the following emotions: love, loyalty, guilt, and regret. If you would so graciously tell us your thoughts on these, and maybe pay attention in the future, that would be so greatly appreciated." He drawled, eliciting snickers from the other students.   
  
Buffy was not in the mood for this. But as she let the question sink in, thoughts after thoughts chased each other as she thought of all she'd been through, and thought she'd teach the teacher a lesson.  
  
"Well?" the teacher asked smugly, confidant that she couldn't give him a sufficient answer.  
  
"Well, what can I say about those emotions?" Buffy started, seeing the amused smirk on his face. Her mood picked up as she thought about wiping it off is face. He reminded her of Snyder, and this was one of his little rag-tag-band of rats that followed the horrible little troll.  
  
"Love is like a two-edged knife. It could protect and give you such a sense of security, you would feel invincible, like you could take on the world. A partnership where you can completely trust your partner and count on him or her on using his last breath to protect him. Or it could be plunged into your heart through the back, and the person you thought you could trust twists it painfully until you can barely breathe."  
  
"Loyalty. It's much like love really. Loyalty could give you some of the most rewarding prizes of the loyalty of someone, be it a lover or a friend. Or it could be used to betray the one who gave it to you and probably kill them from the hurt. Like I said, a double edged knife."  
  
"Regret. Well, that one's a tricky one. On one hand, regret could help you correct a past mistake, and probably help you repair the relationship you have with that person that you wronged. Or..." she paused for effect. "It could blind you to the most simplest answer, and act as a fog, letting you walk and fall off a cliff that you didn't even see coming."  
  
"Ah, and last but not least, guilt. Hm..." she tapped her chin thoughtfully, loving the way her emotions seem to pour out of her. Leaving her a bit empty, but the pain she'd been feeling earlier was leaving too. "That one's the big one isn't it? Guilt is like a nagging conscious with varying degrees. It could be a little headache or indecision chasing itself in your head. Or it could be something that drives you to do things that you probably wouldn't do under normal circumstances. Like standing beside someone that you know you shouldn't, but you feel as though you should, to repay for whatever you did to him."   
  
As Buffy spoke, her eyes became dark, taking her deep into her memories, remembering things as she said them. The dark obsession that had been her and Angel. The unwavering trust that she had had with Giles. The way that she could probably count on Giles to be up at 1 in the morning asleep against a book he had been reading. While Angel, she couldn't even tell where he would be, let alone what he was thinking. The regret of all the pain that Buffy had caused Giles, and the pain of regret that Buffy felt for unleashing Angelus from his bindings. Then came her impassioned speech of guilt. The guilt of running and leaving them all to fend for themselves on the Hellmouth. Without even a good-bye, running to L.A. Then there was that guilt that told her that she had to be with Angel, to repay him for all that he had done for her, even if she didn't ask for it.   
  
The bell rang loudly, and nearly everyone jumped in their seat, because the room was so quiet after Buffy's calm response. Though even her voice was, the pain in her voice and recollection was so deeply imbued into her words, you felt them squeezing at her heart.   
  
"Well, I suppose that's the end of my explanation." Buffy said flippantly, taking her stuff and walking out the door to her locker, leaving a subdued class to walk out of the room, leaving behind a tongue-tied teacher, and two friends that looked at Buffy with worried eyes. 


	3. Research and Worry

Title: Slayer's Fire  
  
Author: Chimerablue5  
  
Spoilers: Up through Helpless, mentions of Revelations  
  
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.   
  
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?  
  
Author's Note: Hey, thanks Shelay. I checked out your story. Pretty good. I hope you keep reading, and reviewing of course. ;-) For everyone else in general, tell me what you think, and I'll keep typing away, and try to keep the story somewhat legible. :)   
  
Chapter 3: Research and Worry  
  
Xander and Willow were discussing something quite adamantly as they practically burst through the library doors. Giles nearly dropped his book and tea when he heard the sudden noise from the two children and from the hall outside the doors, breaking his quite solitude.   
  
"...see how she looked when she was talking?" Xander asked, turning his head to Willow.  
  
"No, I wasn't near enough to see her face. She was facing the front, like the entire time." Willow replied anxiously.   
  
"Well, it was like she was lost in her own world, and she was only saying it out loud because she started off like that." Xander gave a noticeable shiver as he set his bag on the library table. "It was majorly creepy."  
  
"What was 'majorly creepy'?" Giles asked, giving up his reading, knowing that with the children here he wouldn't get much reading done during their lunch break.   
  
"Just what happened during English class." Willow answered, anxiety apparent in her voice.   
  
"Buffy was acting really weird today. She didn't even try to say 'hi' or 'good morning'. She just sat down and looked as though she was asleep with her head in her hand." Xander said, clearing up Willow's vague response at the Englishman's questioning look.   
  
"She acted odd today, you say?" Giles asked, sitting in a chair across from the two adolescents. Giles recalled what Buffy said about extra energy and how she felt strange during their tension-filled encounter that morning. 'Well, it seems that this matter needs to be researched.' Giles thought to himself, all ready making a list in his mind which books he should look into.   
  
"Giles? Gi-iles...woo hoo. You in there G-man?" Xander asked, waving his hand in front of the Watcher's face.  
  
"Never call me that." Giles answered automatically. Then his face turned into one of confusion. "What?"  
  
"See, I told you it'd get his attention." Xander joked, as he sat back down next to Willow.   
  
Willow just grinned at Xander, then turned back to Giles. "I asked: did you notice anything weird about Buffy lately? Did she mention anything to you?"   
  
Giles blushed at completely missing Willow's question in the first place, so deep he was in his thoughts. He cleared his throat a bit, then answered. "No, I haven't really noticed anything odd about her lately. Though she has been a bit distant, hasn't she? She mentioned something earlier..." Giles trailed off, as he began again to think of his Slayer.   
  
"She said something? You saw her? When? We haven't seen her all morning except for that one class." Xander said anxiously, trying to get more information from the Watcher.  
  
"Really? Doesn't she usually see you first thing in the morning?" Giles asked, trying to drive them away from Buffy and his conversation that morning. Much to his relief, they followed the bait, and went for it.   
  
"Yea, she usually does, but this morning, she just walked past and kept going." Xander asked, with a slight frown on his face, as he recalled the memories of that morning.   
  
Giles looked over to Willow, though she didn't seem as convinced as Xander was. She wasn't as naïve as she appeared to be. She had a look on her that told him to tell her soon, one that he could recognize from when she used to give it to Buffy. Giles looked away, staring at the ground for a moment.  
  
"Yes, well, anyway. You two should hurry and eat, the bell ring soon. I'll look into Buffy, and see if anything's amiss. All right?" Giles said, giving the a somewhat strained smile.  
  
"Sure Giles."  
  
"Yea, G-man."  
  
"Don't ever call me that."  
  
Xander just smiled.   
  
*****************************************  
  
The warm California sun and air beat on her golden skin as she lay her head on the rough tree bark. With her dark sunglasses perched precariously on her head, she looked up at the blue sky. She let out a slow sigh, as though trying to release something she couldn't let go of. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched, and her face showed everything she was feeling.   
  
*******************************  
  
Giles had set down his book, after seeing he wasn't going to get anything done with his mind always traveling back to Buffy. As he got up, he decided to take a bit of a walk, experience some of the dreadful California sun. He smiled wryly to himself as he remembered the conversation...  
  
"That's all he said, 'Fork Guy?'" Giles commented idly, as he bit into his apple.   
  
"That's all cryptic guy said: Fork Guy." Buffy repeated, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.   
  
"I think there's too many guys in your life." Giles said, a playful grin on his mouth as he turned to look at the sky.   
  
"God, everyday here is the same." Giles said disgustedly, looking up into the clear sky.  
  
"Bright, sunny, beautiful, how ever can we escape this torment?" Buffy asked sarcastically.  
  
"Right. Morning." Giles said, greeting Xander as he walked to the library.  
  
Smiling quietly to himself as he made his way outside. Looking up, he stopped short at the sight before him.   
  
There, sitting a few yards away, was his Slayer, looking for all the world as though the fate of the world rested on her slim shoulders. Which often enough was the truth. Considering whether or not he should say hello, he decided no, as he saw his Slayer looking blankly up at the sky.  
  
Giles heart twisted in pain as he saw the pain etched into Buffy's features. 'Oh god, what if I caused some of her pain?' He thought in horror. Wasn't that what you were aiming for, Rupert? A voice sneered. Giles shook his head in vain, trying to get rid of the painful voice that was whispering painful suggestions. He knew that he had tried to deliberately cause her distress, but seeing her now, he was thinking that it was a mistake.   
  
His emotions tumbling and mixing painfully in his chest, he didn't know whether or not he could stay there. In the school, near Buffy. He spun around, quickly, blindly searching for the quiet peace he usually found in the library.  
  
As he stepped through the wooden swinging doors, his heart calmed slightly, but the utter peace he usually felt did not come. "I have to get out of here for a while." Giles said quietly to himself. Getting up from his leaning position on the check-out counter, he walked into his office, the haunted blue eyes still seen in his eyes. 


	4. Retreat and Thoughts

Title: Slayer's Fire  
  
Author: Chimerablue5  
  
Spoilers: Up through Helpless, beginning scene in Lover's Walk with Giles and Buffy, I took a bit of license with the dialogue, but, hey, it's mostly the same, so major spoilage  
  
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X, but X/C for a brief spell, seeing as how we're in this point in time  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.   
  
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?  
  
Author's Note: Hey, Patricia, thanks for the great review. I think I'll use this note to just explain a few things. I know Giles is a bit OOC, but I think that the mental and physical torture that Giles went through under Angelus cut him a whole lot deeper than what we've seen in the show. He's been cold towards Buffy because he can't express it towards Angel (us) directly, so he takes it out on the only other possible person. In my story, Giles isn't always as calm and controlled as he is on the show because in my opinion, I don't think that a person can go through so many traumas and be like that. A person would need to have a few emotional 'leaks' for a lack of a better term. Anyway, I babble when I explain things, so I'll shut up now. Anyway, if you keep reading, you'll see that Giles is a bit overwhelmed and feeling really guilty. Oh, and if you would like to be my beta, I wouldn't mind at all. Just e-mail me at Chimerablue5@hotmail.com and tell me. I'll e-mail you a copy, before I post up the next chapter, and I'll wait 'till you send back a reply with all the little mistakes that have probably taken up residence in the chapter. And still, with the babble, aren't I? :) Really, this time I'll shut up, now. Just read and review please! :)  
  
Author's Note2: Oh, and a side note, if you want to read B/G fics, go to www.buffygiles.com they have a huge archive, as well as links and other things to keep you entertained. Have fun! :)  
  
Chapter 4: Retreat and Thoughts   
  
As the sunlight streamed through a window onto the bag and various camping gear, Buffy walked slowly into the library. She had only been coming into the library to see Giles for their regular training sessions. Before, she would have dropped by, maybe exercise a bit while the gang researched or just hung out with Giles while he was reading, or even annoy him with her 'noise'. A small smile graced Buffy's lips as she thought of Giles' reaction to her music, which was quickly erased as she saw how easily they had drifted apart since Angel's return had been uncovered.   
  
Looking up, she saw the camping gear that Giles had been packing. A vague memory of Giles saying that he was going to a retreat or something or other came to mind. A slight pang came to Buffy as she thought of even more time that was being put between them.   
  
Emerging from his office, Giles saw Buffy as she perched herself on the research table, as she had so many times before. This time, though, she held herself carefully, her shoulders hinting at the tenseness that she was feeling. Giles was saddened at the thought that they were like this way, even after everything they had gone through together. But you wanted this didn't you? Eh, Rupes? You wanted to push her away, just so that you two couldn't hurt each other so much anymore. Isn't that right? That sneering voice was back, but Giles pushed it back into the recesses of his mind. 'It ends now,' he thought furiously.   
  
As he looked at Buffy, his face softened, the concern and care that he felt for her, overcoming any bitterness that he had felt at the moment. For the past week or so, since his return, he had to consciously remind himself not to try and comfort her. He was putting an end to that starting now.   
  
"Buffy. How are you? Sleeping all right?" Giles asked, his concern apparent in his voice.  
  
The kindness and sincerity in his voice nearly made Buffy do a double take. 'Hold on. What's up?' Buffy thought, wondering what was going on with the sudden change in Giles.   
  
She wasn't able to hide the confusion at his concern, and it saddened Giles even more that the small amount of concern that he had shown just now had surprised her. 'This has gone on for too long and it stops now!' Giles thought, angry towards himself for taking this charade for so long.   
  
"I'm fine, you know me." Buffy shifted slightly on the desk so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye if she looked at the library doors. Her hand clutched the paper as she wondered if she should show it too him.   
  
The sound of the paper as it slightly rustled in her hand attracted Giles' eye. He wondered if he should ask or should he just let her come to him of her own free will. 'Oh, to hell with it.'   
  
"What might that be, if I may ask?" Giles asked calmly, as he placed the piece of gear on the table next to the rest of the things he was bringing onto his trip.   
  
Buffy looked down to her hand. 'Well, I guess that answers that.' Buffy thought sarcastically, partially relieved that he had answered her internal debate for her.   
  
"It...It's just my SAT scores. They don't really matter much do they?" Buffy said. Her tone was relaxing as she spoke with him. The cold demeanor that he had been carrying was almost completely gone, she found herself unwinding. She was beginning to feel more relaxed than she had in weeks. The stress of hiding Angel, pretending that everything ok had been weighing so heavily on her, she hadn't realized how hard it had been until this moment.   
  
"Oh? And how did you do? From the expression that you have, I would think that you didn't do so well." Giles said, teasing lightly to test the waters.  
  
"Well, it's really up to you. Is a 1430 a good thing, or a bad thing?" Buffy asked, a small part of her, surprised that he would even try the familiarity of light banter. The surprise that came upon his face was happy in a way that made a warm glow come on inside of her.   
  
"Buffy this is remarkable." Giles said in awe, as he looked over her SAT test scores. For a moment, everything that had passed in the last week, had been forgotten, they were back to being Watcher and Slayer, and close friends.   
  
Buffy searched for a distraction, looking for something to break the silence. She found her gaze attracted by the numerous instruments littered around the camping bag.   
  
"So is this." Picking up one of the objects, she pretended to be examining the item. "Where is this retreat thingy, the Yukon?" Buffy asked, slightly joking, though a slight panicked voice was running around wondering if he was leaving her.   
  
"No, actually," Giles said with a slight smile at Buffy's attempt at humor, "It's quite nearby, actually. It's, um, it's the clearing at the top of Breaker's Woods. It's the site of some fascinating druidic rituals."  
  
A part of Buffy smiled inwardly, seeing that Giles was being, well Giles, to the last. Still the panicky voice was still talking incessantly, demanding for her to ask whether or not he was leaving for good. "Okay, but you're just going for a few days, right? I mean, you're not gonna settle there and grow crops or anything. Right?" The last word came out a bit nervously.   
  
Giles looked at her, his confusion apparent on his face. A light bulb went off in his head. 'She's actually afraid I'll leave. Doesn't the poor girl realize, I would never leave her?' Giles thought affectionately. He stopped that train of thought, knowing that he shouldn't go down that path. He quickly came up with a reply. "What? Oh, my gear. No, no, this is, this is basic necessities." Saying it quickly enough, that the pause in between hadn't sounded awkward.   
  
Buffy couldn't resist the jest that had popped into her mind. "Giles, you pack like me." As she said it, a smile played at the corner of her lips, as she felt a large tension leave her, and she felt that maybe the world was getting back on track.   
  
Giles smiled down affectionately at the girl who had such control over him. He hoped when, if his mind supplied for him. When, she realized this, that she would be kind.   
  
As though snapping out of a deep thought, Giles mentally shook himself and handed her back the paper. "Here. I suspect your mother will want to, uh, put it on the refrigerator." Giles said, slightly struggling to make the words come out.   
  
"Yeah. She saw these scores, and her head spun around and exploded." Buffy replied.   
  
Giles paused in his packing, as he looked up to think about her statement. "I-I've been on the Hellmouth too long. That was metaphorical, yes?" He asked, only half joking.  
  
Buffy smiled at his uncertainty. The fact that they actually had to say that it was metaphorical was sad, but a normal part of their lives. "Yes. She was happy." A small smile playing at the corners of her mouth again, that threatened to split her mouth in a huge grin.   
  
"She started with all this crazy talk about me going to college, maybe someplace else. I know. I know, I said that you were gonna have a goat. Responsibilities and all. I know the drill." Buffy said, with a wave of her hand, referring to her duty as the Slayer.  
  
"She may be right." Giles responded quietly, placing the mirror that his Slayer had been playing with a few minutes earlier.   
  
"Yeah, I know, I figured you'd...Okay. Be kind, rewind." Buffy said, caught by surprise in the middle of her sentence.   
  
"With scores like these, Buffy, you could have a first-rate education. I'm, I'm not suggesting that you... ignore your calling, but, um... you need to look to your future. And with Faith here, i-i-it may be that you can move on. For a-a time, at least." Giles cursed the stutter that came out of him nearer to the end of his response. What he said was true, and it hurt him deeply to think that she might leave. But in this impossible instance, she just might be able to leave the Hellmouth behind to pursue whatever she wanted. 'Even if it is a future without me in it.' Giles thought bitterly.   
  
"Wow." Buffy said, unable to say anything else at the moment. She knew that normally, she couldn't even think of that possibility. Yet here she was, with her Watcher offering it to her. But it saddened her at the same time as she thought that if she followed that road, it might not include her Watcher, who was so bound to duty, he wouldn't leave his post at the mouth of Hell.   
  
"Well, anyway, let's talk about it when I get back, shall we?" Giles said, uncomfortably, unable to meet her eyes, as he placed the last of the supplies in the bag and zipped it up.   
  
As the sound of the zipper echoed around the library, Giles desperately tried to find something to break the silence. "I-in the meantime, um, I'd like you to continue training while I'm, while I'm gone, and, um, please don't do anything rash." He admonished quietly, looking over the contents of his bag.   
  
"'Anything rash' meaning..." Buffy trailed off, silently asking Giles to explain.  
  
The next few words came out slowly, as though he were picking his words very carefully indeed. "Are you planning on seeing Angel?"   
  
Buffy didn't miss the hesitation in his voice, and jumped to reassure him in that department. "Yes. Actually, I am. Look, but there's not gonna be any rash. Anywhere." Buffy added for good measure. She didn't want Giles to feel as though she was going to betray him so deeply with someone that had hurt him so much. "Okay. We're, we're friends. That's all either of us wants. Nothing's gonna happen." Buffy said, trying to convince both Giles and herself, wondering about how much truth was actually behind those words.   
  
Giles, in the meantime, was looking at her incredulously over the top of the rim of his glasses. Of Buffy, he was sure that she would never intentionally hurt her friends, but he didn't know how well, or how much, her judgment was when it concerned the now ensouled vampire.   
  
******************************************  
  
It was during her workout in the empty library, that she began thinking amidst the punches and various kicks, her thoughts turned to her overall life.   
  
'Well, it's not often I do a self-evaluation thing-y all by myself.' Buffy thought wryly. During a vicious spin-kick, she wondered why that was. 'Well, it could be that I don't really have time, between the slaying, the school, the hiding of former boyfriends from my closest friends and Watcher.   
  
'Nice life, Buffy. You never would have thought that you'd be living like this back when you were in Hemery, eh?' Buffy thought, executing a jump kick at an invisible enemy. Calming down a bit, she went over to the research table, where she put her towel and water bottle. She grabbed the water bottle and took a swig from it, placing it back down on the table. She looked around at the library, smiling vaguely, as she reminiscently at all the memories that flooded her. Sure, most of the big ones were horrible. Like when she yelled at Giles for the first time when she found out that she would die. When she found Xander, bloodied, and limping after they had kidnapped Willow and Giles to try and resurrect the Master. Then when they captured Giles again to tell them how to open Acathla, and finding Kendra dead on the floor, Xander knocked out near an overturned book shelf, and Willow unconscious beneath said book shelf. Even with these horrible memories, small moments, glancing moments waded in, overtaking the bad ones.   
  
Taking a seat, even though she didn't feel tired, she looked around the library again, the tiny memories swimming in her mind's eye. The way Xander had been amazed the first time when he stated: "Okay, this is where I have a problem. See, because we're talking about vampires. We're having a *talk* with vampires in it." Xander said, somewhat hysteric.   
  
Other memories, that came later, like when she was training with Giles, or listening to Willow talk to her. Their boy trouble one of the many things they talked about. Or when she teases Giles and he replied with his usual sarcasm that was so normal she expected at least a little of it everyday.   
  
Her face grew soft as she thought of Giles, and how he had taken care of her. Her thoughts took a depressed turn as she thought of how she had repaid that warmth and kindness with her foolishness, her stubbornness, and her shortsightedness. She gave a sigh that was loud in the quiet library. She jumped back to her feet, not liking the turn that her mind had taken down memory lane. She began to train again to try and take away the sadness that had enveloped her, or at least forget about it until later.   
  
*********************************************************  
  
Giles set up his tent, making sure that it was properly made. He didn't want it collapsing in on itself while he was in it. He debated, whether or not he should go and study the ruins by moonlight, or go in the morning. Looking around him, at the darkness that pressed in around him, he decided to go in the morning.   
  
'After all, wouldn't want to fall and give yourself a blasted concussion. I all ready get enough of those, I don't need to add on to it with my own blunderings.' Giles thought wryly, grinning to himself.   
  
Sitting by the fire that he had made, he looked up into the stars that normally were blocked by the artificial lights of Sunnydale. To think that some of those beautiful pins of light might not even exist anymore was amazing. He had never been interested in the technicalities and intricate workings of astronomy. But he was often in awe of the natural beauty that the heavens provided.   
  
Giles shook his head, a bit sad that nowadays no one really had the time to pause and just look around them for the beauty that they often looked for in life. Even he didn't do it as often as he'd like, always face-first in a book, researching the latest demon, or trying to get the heads up on a prophecy.   
  
Glancing at his watch, that was illuminated by it's light, he decided that if he were to get an early start for the ruins the next day, he should probably turn in. He got up, dusted his pants a bit and went to fetch the water pale to put out the fire. He certainly didn't want to start a forest fire. Too many things happened Sunnydale, he didn't need to add any more troubles when there were plenty of them waiting in the city.   
  
*************************************************  
  
As the sun rose in the distance, it found Rupert Giles lying awake in his tent, having woken up and hour before. So used to having to stay up until the early hours of the morning waiting for his Slayer, he kept waking up, expecting Buffy to come knocking on his door to report to him the latest demon. Only to find upon waking the ceiling of his tent and slightly open gap in the tent flap.   
  
As a small ray of light crept into the tent, Giles' mind wandered back to his little family. He wondered how they were doing, if they had gotten themselves into trouble in his absence.   
  
Giles smiled to himself in the quickly lightening tent. 'They don't need you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, old man.' Giles thought wryly to himself. Getting himself up, he decided that he should probably go and eat a bit before heading out to the site.   
  
***********************************************  
  
Golden light spilled into the room, unable to mask the sadness that seemed to infect his young charges. Giles looked up from his book to look at Xander, Willow, and his Slayer, Buffy. They all seemed occupied and distracted, well, more than usually anyway.   
  
As the bell rang, signaling them to start making their way to class, Giles pulled Buffy to the side.  
  
"Buffy, do you think we could have a word whenever you're available?" Giles asked, glancing up a second to make sure that Xander and Willow couldn't hear them.   
  
Buffy looked up, a glimpse of surprise flashing in her eyes. She regarded him with a questioning look. "Sure Giles. I'll come by during my lunch break, okay?"  
  
"That's fine."  
  
A look in his eyes told Buffy that he wanted this to be a private Watcher/Slayer conversation. She thought up an excuse to see Giles. 'Why do I need to make an excuse? It's not like we're doing anything wrong. It's just innocent Watcher/Slayer bonding. No harm in that.' Uh-huh, sure. 'Where did that voice come from?' Buffy thought, confused by what her thoughts were saying. She slightly shook her head to clear it, as she said good-bye to Giles, making her way to the swinging doors, making her way to her next class.   
  
  
  
**********************************  
  
Well, there's the next chapter. Sorry about the late update. I got a writer's block, somewhere around the time when Giles was in the retreat. I'll try to update sooner, barring writer's block. Well, until next time. And don't forget, read and review please! :) 


	5. Strange Dreams

Title: Slayer's Fire  
  
Author: Chimerablue5  
  
Spoilers: Up through Helpless, this one is probably an in-between episode thing, probably Lover's Walk, and The Wish. So, not so many spoilers this time around  
  
Pairings: B/G, W/O, A/X, but X/C for a brief spell, seeing as how we're in this point in time  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own anything in the Buffyverse. Wish I did though, as many people do.   
  
Summary: Something's happening to Buffy, and it's linked to her heritage as the Slayer. It's happening when the Watcher and Slayer are nearly to blows. Is this connected to the changes she's going through?  
  
Author's Note: I know, I know, sorry, nothing's really happened yet, has it? Well, I'll be fixing that soon, and then we can have some fun chock full of magic, danger, and a topping of a confusing plot, one where I haven't even muddled through yet. ;-) If it gets too confusing tell me, and I'll try to lessen the twists and turns. All you've got to do is wait, and then let the dizziness ensue! Oh, and an author's note inside of an author's note. If you noticed it, I'm kind of going in order of the actual show, and making my changes along the way. Soon, I'm gonna throw in a whole new plot twist, and then it'll spin off into my own crazy world. I'm rambling, I know. I'll shut up now, and you can get on with the story.   
  
Chapter 5: Strange Dreams  
  
The ringing bell echoed through the not-so silent hallways, until the main rush of people exited their classrooms to head out and eat. A single certain blonde person made her way to the library, the silence of the room ringing in her ears, as the sudden noise level dropped.   
  
"Giles?" The irony of the situation not lost on Buffy. A few years ago, she had entered the same library, running from her destiny with a fierce passion. Who would've thought that she would come to depend so much on the same man as the one who had thrown that Vampyr book at her that first day?   
  
"Ah, Buffy, good. I wanted to speak to you." He waved to the research table, as he took a seat for himself, and waiting for Buffy to take a seat before they proceeded.   
  
"Yea, so what's the sitch? Some new bad in town or something?" Buffy asked, somewhat flippantly.  
  
"Um...no, not really. I wanted to ask what had happened while I was gone. I would ask Willow or Xander, but they don't seem inclined to talk about it."  
  
Buffy cringed. She didn't really want to talk about this. She hadn't been fully in the know, but Willow had talked to her as soon as she could. Amidst the tears and the sobs that had taken over the redheaded witch, Buffy had finally been able to piece together the wet admissions. She felt sad for her best friend, wishing she knew what to do for her, but seeing as how she wasn't going to win any best-relationship awards anytime soon, she thought she should hold her piece.   
  
"Well, you see Giles, there was this little problem." At the raised eyebrow that Giles shot at her direction, she was quick to add rather blandly, "I didn't do it." A slight smile tugged at the stern expression that was on his face, and Buffy felt a bit more relaxed as she continued.  
  
"Anyway, Spike came back, and it seems he kidnapped Willow and Xander. They weren't really hurt that much, though Xander may have a bit of a headache for some time." Buffy added, when she saw the concerned expression that immediately came to his face as the name 'Spike' was mentioned. "He, Spike, was like in this poor-me grief-y mood/drunk thing, and he kidnapped Willow for a spell. By the time we got the ingredients, he'd changed his mind, and just took off for Drusilla." Buffy said, giving the bare jist of the story. She had casually omitted the part of Angel, and just thought to avoid that whole subject for the time being.   
  
"I see." With that, Giles took off his glasses, and wiped them with his ever-present handkerchief. "I can understand how Xander had that rather nasty looking cut near his hairline, but how would that explain the absence of Cordelia and Oz. And why the air seems to almost be made of tension?" Giles queried.   
  
"Well, it seems that Xander and Willow kind of...um...locked lips, and Oz and Cordy sort of caught them. And afterwards, Cordelia seems to have been impaled by an iron pole. I stopped by to see how she was, and she was kind of quiet, which isn't a good sign for Cordelia."   
  
"Oh my. I hope she gets better soon." Giles said, some concern for the infuriating girl that had somehow become one of his 'children'.   
  
"Yea, I asked the doctors, and they said that she's going to be fine. They also said that she was going to be released pretty soon, like tomorrow or the next day."   
  
Giles made a mental note to visit her when he was able. After doing so, he focused back on his Slayer. "I can see how this would put a strain on everyone. How's Willow doing in all of this?" Giles asked, his eyes becoming sympathetic as he thought of dear Willow.   
  
"She's feeling really bad Giles. I think this whole thing with Xander was just a bit of a passing fancy, and a few small pieces of a past crush that kind of made this happen. That and throw in the whole almost dying aspect, I can kind of understand." Buffy said, trailing off, as she suddenly remembered the errant night that she spent with Angel, and how that single night had cost so much to her friends who she considered family.  
  
From the look that had come over Buffy's eyes, Giles had a fairly good idea of what, or who, she was thinking about. The awkward silence stretched, both lost among their thoughts as they digested all of the information. Soon, the ringing of the bell broke the quiet. Buffy glanced at the clock, and was surprised by how quickly time had flown.   
  
"Well, I guess I better get too. I skip enough classes as it is, I shouldn't be late to any if I can help it." With that, Buffy said a quick good-bye, wanting to go over a few things in the quiet solitude of her mind as she zoned out in class as usual.  
  
*************************************  
  
Buffy tossed and turned as she let out a small, undistinguishable sound escaped her. Caught in the throes of her dream, she could do nothing except ride out the wave.  
  
Buffy was entering the library, much as she had the first day of school in Sunnydale High. Instead of calling uncertainly out for someone, she strode in, looking for a particular someone, sure of herself that he was in here. Looking into the bookcase, she saw Oz, in his werewolf form, pacing the length of the cage. A quick look at the window showed the sun streaming into the library. Bypassing him, she walked up to the research table, finding various cards littered on the table. At first glance, they looked like the cards that you'd see in a card index for books.   
  
Picking one up, Buffy saw small minute pictures moving in the boundaries of the cards. Looking up, she turned calmly to Giles who had suddenly appeared behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a glimpse of another Giles, somewhat scruffy, and the Master. Her eyes widened, turning her head in to see if he was there, but found no one. Furrowing her brow, she turned back to her Giles. He had his normal, caring smile on. With a small smile of her own, Buffy handed Giles her card, showing it to him. As they're hands brushed something inexplicable ran through her. Wondering what it was, she looked up to Giles, whose eyes were suddenly cat-like, and gold. Not the unholy yellow of vampire, but something else. He still had the caring smile, but for some odd reason, he seemed to have grown fangs, or canines. Buffy found it slightly odd, so thought to ask why for the first time since the weird dream began.   
  
"So, Giles, what's up with the teeth?" Buffy asked nonchalantly. Giles in return merely smiled more, and put his finger to his lips in a mime for quiet. He held out his hand, waiting for Buffy to place hers in his.   
  
Looking down on the hand, it seemed to have grown claws, like those on a cat or a lizard. Cocking her head slightly, wondering what was going on with Giles, she held the clawed hand, and let him guide her, like he always had.   
  
Taking twists and turns, down the familiar, yet unfamiliar hallways of Sunnydale High, they found themselves entering the courtyard. Buffy tried to look around Giles, to see what was there, but he had turned around and blocked her sight.   
  
"Giles...let me see." Buffy complained, putting out a pouting lip.   
  
Smiling again, with the odd golden eyes, and sharpened teeth, he glanced backwards, still blocking Buffy's line of sight. "Soon."  
  
Sunlight shone through the window, abruptly pulling Buffy from the dream. She pouted up at the ceiling, irrationally telling it that she wanted to see it, while she was still half-asleep, still unable to see the line between the dream world and reality.   
  
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The next day...  
  
Walking into the library, the sun streaming through the windows, Buffy felt a strange shiver of déjà vu. Passing the book cage, Buffy half expected to see Oz pacing inside it. While her mind kept telling her that it was a dream, the line between dreams and reality seemed to be blurring, and Buffy wondered what was going on.   
  
Unlike the dream though, Buffy put her bag and binder onto the research table, startling Giles out of his reverie, with his nose in a book.   
  
"Hey Giles, what's on the agenda today?" Buffy said casually, perching herself onto the desk.   
  
"Ah, y-yes, Buffy. Nothing today. Just wanted to tell you that there had been reported sightings and odd animal deaths over in the park."   
  
"Oh. So I'm guessing Slayer-fest in the park? Vampires, or something else?" Buffy asked, her aloof questions belied by the look in her eyes.   
  
"Else, I'm afraid to say. It's nothing serious really, just a demon that can easily killed by the usual methods. Beheading, stabbing, etc." Giles said calmly, ticking off the points in his head.   
  
"Cool. Something that's easy." Buffy drawled. Giles just rolled his eyes at her good-naturedly, and then smiled afterwards, to make sure that he knew that they were just teasing.   
  
"Oh, and if you want, you can do this during the day, so you can just kill the demon and have fun at the park afterwards." Giles suggested, noticing the strain as of late getting to her and the 'children'.  
  
"That'd be great. It's ok if I bring Willow and Xander right?" Buffy asked, picking up her bag as she noticed the time.   
  
"Of course. As long as they're both careful and leaves the slaying to you, and Faith if she were to come."  
  
"Cool. I'll tell Faith if I see her. Well, I gotta book, 1st periods in like 5 minutes. See ya Giles!" Buffy called over her shoulder as she made her way to the door.   
  
"Don't forget. Training after school." Giles called out to her. His only response was a wave in his direction telling him she'd heard as she disappeared behind the swinging doors. He shook his head at her as he returned to his books, ever searching for any new prophecies. He had come across a few that had vaguely referenced to the Slayer in the end days, and he had been trying to follow up on it since the night before.   
  
Walking to her first class of the day, Buffy's dream of last night had slipped her mind before she got a reminder in 3rd.   
  
*********************************************  
  
Buffy, in a position that she was often seen in when present in class, lazily listened to the teacher's words, her head propped up in her right hand. Luckily, this teacher barely even noticed Buffy, seeing as how she barely even knew her, due to the amount of classes that she had skipped. The topic today was as boring as ever, her thoughts running along the lines of when am I ever going to use math in my life? Bitterly, an addendum ran through her mind. 'Well, it's not like I'm actually going to live that long anyway.' Her mood shifted into one of brooding, and she stared blankly into the chalkboard as the teacher continued to ramble on.   
  
Her eyes, drifting shut, her mind drifting to the dream realm...   
  
  
  
Her eyes opening in the classroom, Buffy looked around at the now empty seats around her. Standing up, she walked out of the classroom, letting her feet guide her, knowing that she was in another dream. If these things were prophecy, she was going to have to tell Giles about this.   
  
As if conjured by her thoughts, the library doors swung into view as she rounded a corner. Pushing the swinging doors as she had a hundreds of times, she walked in, looking for the man in her thoughts.   
  
Again, she saw Oz pacing in his cage. Looking at the window, she saw a soft spring rain dropping onto the library windows, small specks of sun filtering through the droplets. This time, instead of Giles suddenly appearing, he was waiting for her, watching the doors as though he knew that she were coming. Well duh, it was a dream, so maybe she should have been expecting that.   
  
Looking around the library, she saw odds and ends that weren't normally there. A basket of flowers sat upon the research table, with an unmarked balloon attached to it by a string. She saw a black book lying next to it, instantly recognizing the accursed book that had prophesized her death. She looked up at Giles, his eyes still a smoldering gold, but missing the canines that he had been sporting the day before.   
  
Raising a speculative eyebrow in his direction, he merely smiled at her. Cupping her cheek in his large hand, he looked into her eyes. Speaking quietly under his breath, Buffy had to strain to hear this secret that seemed to be forcing itself out of him.  
  
"Soon, love. It's all coming together soon. You'll be able to see then. It's not quite time. See the weather? We certainly can't go out in that." Taking a quick glance at the window, the soft rain had become barely a drizzle, as spring rains were wont to do. She turned back to Giles who was speaking again.  
  
"Soon, you will rise, above all of the rest, all who came before you. Soon it will be revealed. And I'll be right there with you. Soon." Looking into his eyes, Buffy's confusion clearly shown on her face, Giles merely smiled at her and placed a small, loving kiss on her forehead and turned her around. Placing his hand on her eyes, he whispered in her ear...  
  
"Buffy, wake up." Buffy's eyes opened at the voice that was in her ear. Looking up at Willow, she looked around her confused, the dream still fresh on her mind.   
  
"Willow?" Buffy asked, looking dazedly at her favorite witch-y friend.   
  
"You fell asleep. You better hurry up, we need to go to our next class, and then we have lunch." Willow said, with a small smile, urging Buffy to pick up her bag and move.   
  
"Oh, yea, right. Class. Then lunch. That's good." Buffy said, with a pre-occupied tone. She moved and got up, with a worried Willow, who shot a few glances towards her friend.   
  
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End file.
